SWIHA Blog

This time of year, it’s easy to begin to recite unconscious, redundant holiday greetings such as Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, or Happy New Year. While a sincere sentiment might be your intention, could we just stop a minute and acknowledge those who aren’t feeling so merry and bright this season?

Holidays can be an emotional time of year for some, especially those who mark the holidays with anniversaries such as “This is the first holiday without (insert loved one’s name)!” Or, “I cannot believe it’s been so many years that (loved one) hasn’t been here for the holidays.” Remembering and reminiscing are part of the grieving process.

Rather than skirt around the grief or try to act as if it’s not there, consider these thoughtful and compassionate HAPPY options:

Read More

Topics: Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, SWIHA, Mindfulness, Holistic Healing, KC Miller, Arizona, Tempe, integrative healing arts practitioner, Holding Space, Christmas, Holidays, IHAP, winter solstice, Connection, Solstice, Healing Procress, Healing Process, Space Holder, Grief Stages, Grief

To talk about the power of empathy, one must first understand the difference between sympathy and empathy. According to Psychology Today, ‘Sympathy’ is a feeling of care and concern for someone, often someone close, accompanied by a wish to see that person better off or happier. However, sympathy, unlike empathy, does not involve a shared perspective or shared emotions. The power of empathy is the ability to understand another person’s thoughts and feelings, stepping into their shoes, and seeing things from their perspective.

Read More

Topics: holistic entrepreneur, SWIHA, Mindfulness, Self-care, Holistic Healing, Intuition, Holistic wellness, Empath, social media, Empathy, Holistic Education, Setting Goals, Self-Awareness, Sympathy, Feelings, Perspective, Connection, Emotional Intelligence, Thoughts